Folding washbench



' A. HlNEs `FOLDING WASHBENCH Jan. 1, 1924 1,479,539

Filed Dec. l, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented Jan. l, 1924.

unir En vscafi-arres;

Parana-r oFF1--.ce.

AARON c. Hines,Y onTUcUr/rcnnr, NEW MEXIcol FOLDING" WASHBENCH.

Application filed-December vide'room for"two,.three or more` tubson the-'bench andifconstructedI for three wash tubs, for instance', it'may still 'be setup Jfor only two, of-theln; when `the support or eX- tension'for 'the third-wash tub yisfolded andl therefore takes up very littleroom. In this manner the bench is -adjustablezinlaccordance to the number oftubs tol-be" used at I one time'. s

One embodinientv of 'theinvention l,is illustrat'ed'in theaccompanying drawings, and

Figure 1 shows a perspectivelvie'w of the WashVJ benchr erected for use' to hold three wash tubs; p

Figure, 2l isperspecti've View" ofthe'bench folded for storing Figure 3 isa-top plan'viewof" the bench unfolded;

vFigure l isv a fragmentary elevation in# dicati'ng'thermanner of 'attachingsupporting le'gsfto the bench, andv Figure 'indicates aV hinge -connection for the extension or auxiliary frame adapted to carryl a third'fwa'sh tub.A

The bench consists off a main frameI l() preferably l constructed of Wooden" beamsl 11V to formlongitudinalside runners thereof.

Y It is'evident'that structural iron maybe usedv for these beams.- The beamsv11 are spaced apart and in parallel-1 relation and' are rigidly connected by means of central slats 12 and end'slats 13, thelatter being placedf at the' eXtren'iev ends of the beams 11 and"all"the slatsv secured inany suit# able manner, as by bolts, screws, nails orv vrivets.v The'slats mayV be made of hard wood or band iron andv are placed a suitable distance apart forl conveniently supporting the wash tubs.

At the right hand ends of the beams or runners 11 are secured brackets 14 to the outer sides thereof and the brackets extend 1, v1922. Serial No. 604,353.

below the bottomiace of the runners-and` are provided with apertures; for receiving a hinge rod 15,as bestseen'lin Figures' 1und1 11.* Upon these rods 15 is hinged a pair, of supportinglegs 16 atthe ends of the rod-15 and connectec'lv by" means offslats 17.

At the opposite 'endoif vthe frame are provided other supporting legsldof similar construction to the ones -justfdes'cribed and secured by meansl of the hinge' rod 15 in brackets 19,'which however areplacedsoxne,

distance in' from the extreme-left hand Vend of the frame, as seenvin" Figures-1l and' 2. This isffor a reason that '.will-be-eXplained further on;

Each of the supporting legsl l'and 18`is connectedto the `trarne byfmea'ns ofl'a ybrace 2O hinged injthe middle andfulcrume'd to the inner side ofeach beam Torf runner v11, as'at21 and to eachleg, aszat 22." These bracesfha've` the usualflockingl fingers indiA- cated by reference numeral '-23 "adj a'cent the central=hin`ge, for the purpose of preventingA Vthe-folding of' the braces inw'ardlyfin the direction o'f the brackets 14;"and19'.`v l

An 'auxiliaryn frame 24? is attached to one side an'dl'near oneendoftleniain: frame 10 by means ofia pair of; hinges '25, one' lea''A offeach hinge being'securedfto the side-fotone of vthe beams or runners @11; the other lea-ff 341' ybeing"secured to the `top "oic the runner? 26V in open" position,rv asseen'f'in F igures` 1 andi 5 of the' drawings,y The auxiliary iramefalso consists of' a pairv of woodenl or metal beamsv or'side runners 26 connected VVbyrneanfs' of aninner slat 27 and anouter one 28, the latter being secured atthe'.V eXtreme outer endsof the runners 26, seen in Figuresl 1 and' of the drawings and in similarmanner` as already` describedin connection with themaini'rainelll. A- pair ofsuppbrting legs 29 offsigmilarconstruction as the supporting 4legs lfand 181s carried on I ai hinge' rod 30 mounted in the' brackets 31 securedfto tliefoutery sides inadjfacentfend's nio Vwell as the main frame 1() and the relative positions of the slats 12, 13, 27, and 28 is such, that the slats will give ample support for three wash tubs without crowding, the main frame being intended for two wash tubs 35, while the auxiliary frame is intended for only one.

As seen in the drawings, the width across the supporting legs 16, 18, and 29 is identicalrwith the width of the main and auxiliary frames,-so that, when the supporting legs are folded beneath the respective frames, they will occupy the same space across as the frames themselves. The width of the auxiliary frame 24 is however slightly less than the distance between the slats 12 and 13, so that when the auxiliary frame is folded over the main frame., the former will swing down between the side slats to be supported by the two runners 11 forming part of the main frame 10; While the slat 27 of the auxiliary frame drops down between the side slats and side beams. This is best seen in Figure 2 of the drawings. It will also be understood from this figure, that for only twowash tubs, the auxiliary frame may remain in folded position, one wash tub then resting on the slats 12 and 13 at the right hand 'end of the frame, as seen in this figure and Figure 1, while the other wash tub will stand on slats 32 and 33 connecting the supporting legs 29 of the auxiliary frame 2li.

In order to store away the bench the auxiliary'frame 24 is first foldedover the top of the main frame with the runners 2 6-resting on both main runners' 11 and then the braces 34: are swung downwardly, permitting the supporting legs 29 to swing down upon'the beams 26 of the auxiliary frame. Thevbench is then stood on end and the braces 2O folded in similar manner permitting the supporting legs 16 to fold down along the main frame andthe braces 20 of the other supporting legs 18 to be folded in a similar manner, also permitting the swinging of the legs 18 to lie along the under side of the runners 11. When folded flat in this manner the bench will take up very little space, so that it may` conveniently be stowed away ina closet or wardrobe.

The reason for placing the supporting legs 18 further in from the end of the frame than the supporting Vlegs 16, is to make room for the auxiliary frame 26, so that the latter may be attached asclose as possible to one end of the main frame, and it is also evident that with the supporting f legs 18 inthis position they will furnish a iii-mer support for the auxiliary frame when in use. y y

As already stated the entire structure may be made of pine or other wood, or it may be made entirely of iron, or it may be contained in the locality where the benches are built.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed as new is: Y

1. A bench for wash tubs comprising a main franie, end supports for the frame and hinged braces between the main frame and the supports permitting the folding of the latter under the main frame, an auxiliary frame having hinged connection with the upper side of the main frame, a hinged support at the end of the auxiliary frarne and folding bracesY between the auxiliary frame and the hinged support, said frames including` side runners and slats connecting said runners, holding the latter in parallel spaced relation, said slats being spaced to form a base for a tub and permitting the housing ofthe auxiliary frame between them when said auxiliary frame. is folded over the top of the main frame.

2. A bench' for wash tubs comprising a inain frame, end supports for the frame and hinged braces between the main frame and the supports permitting the folding of the latter under the main fraine, an auxiliary `frame having hinged connection with the upper side of the main frame, a hinged support at the end `of the auxiliary frame and folding braces between the auxiliary frame and the hinged support, said frames including side runners and slats connecting said runners, holding the latterin parallel spaced relation, said slatsL being spaced to form a base for a tub and permitting the housing of the auxiliary frame between them when said auxiliary frame is folded over the top of the main frame, brackets at the ends of said frames, said supports each including a pairroflegs, and suitable cross connections for said legs, the width across the legs being substantially identical with that of the respect-ive frames. Y

3. A bench for wash tubs comprising a main frame and an auxiliary frame; each of said frames including side runners and slats connecting said runners and holding the latter in spaced'parallel relation, said auxiliary frame having hinged connection with one of the runners of said mainframe and adjacent one end thereof; endsupports for each of said frames and hinged braces between said supports and the respective frames, permitting the folding of the supports under the frames, the spacing of the slats on said main frame being suchthat the auxiliary frame will fold between them over Y the top of the main frame.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature AARGN C. EINES. [n s] 

